---
title: "Five Great Cities to Visit in Canada During the Summer Months"
author: "Lucas Aykroyd"
language: en
slug: "five-great-cities-to-visit-in-canada-during-summer"
url: "https://gocanada.com/en/five-great-cities-to-visit-in-canada-during-summer"
published_at: "2026-03-23T03:05:00.000Z"
updated_at: "2026-05-28T08:30:02Z"
created_at: "2024-08-09T03:55:44Z"
excerpt: |
  There’s no shortage of things to do Canada-wide when summer arrives and the weather heats up.
categories:
  - name: "Guides"
    slug: "guides"
  - name: "Destinations"
    slug: "destinations"
subcategories:
  - name: "Lists"
    slug: "lists"
  - name: "British Columbia"
    slug: "british-columbia"
  - name: "Québec"
    slug: "quebec"
  - name: "Ontario"
    slug: "ontario"
  - name: "Alberta"
    slug: "alberta"
  - name: "Nova Scotia"
    slug: "nova-scotia"
  - name: "Penticton"
    slug: "penticton"
  - name: "Niagara-on-the-Lake"
    slug: "niagara-on-the-lake"
  - name: "Calgary"
    slug: "calgary"
  - name: "Québec City"
    slug: "quebec-city"
  - name: "Halifax"
    slug: "halifax"
tags:
  - name: "BC Interior"
    slug: "bc-interior"
---

# Five Great Cities to Visit in Canada During the Summer Months

As a Canadian travel journalist, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit cities in every province and two territories. (Northwest Territories, I promise I’ll get to you!) And my experiences have taught me one thing: with all due respect to our national passion for hockey, summer is the perfect time to travel and relax around Canadian cities.

From winery tours and music festivals to parasailing and bike riding, there’s no shortage of things to do Canada-wide when the weather heats up. So here are my picks for five great cities to visit and the amazing summer activities they offer.

### PENTICTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Did you know [Penticton](https://www.visitpenticton.com/) enjoys more than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually?

In this delightful Okanagan Valley city of 40,000, soak up some rays while soaring 300 feet over Okanagan Lake with [Penticton Parasail Adventures](https://www.pentictonparasail.com/). Or bike the Kettle Valley Railway Trail along the Naramata Bench, stopping to sample [Elephant Island Winery](https://elephantislandwine.com/)’s apricot dessert wine and [Hillside Winery](https://www.hillsidewinery.ca/)’s Merlot.

### CALGARY, ALBERTA

Alberta’s biggest city is best-known for the [Calgary Stampede](https://www.calgarystampede.com/), but you can also head to [Heritage Park](https://heritagepark.ca/) to learn hands-on about Western Canadian history. Highlights include the First Nations Encampment’s colourful tipis and paddlewheeler steamship rides on the S.S. Moyie.

Craft beer lovers can explore [Calgary](https://www.visitcalgary.com/)’s Barley Belt brewery district with [Urban Pedal Tours](https://calgary.urbanpedaltours.com/). Alternatively, feast on local bison striploin at the greenery-surrounded [River Cafe](https://www.river-cafe.com/) in Prince’s Island Park.

### NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO

Theatre aficionados flock to this bucolic Lake Ontario town for the [Shaw Festival](https://www.shawfest.com/), featuring indoor and outdoor productions like My Fair Lady and Candida.

To up the adrenaline, [Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours](https://whirlpooljet.com/) offers spray-laden river rides – hitting speeds of 80 km/h – to Niagara Falls. And some 40 area wineries offer ample tasting opportunities for [Niagara-on-the-Lake](https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/niagara-region/niagara-on-the-lake/) visitors.

---

### QUÉBEC CITY, QUÉBEC

The [Festival d'été de Québec](https://www.feq.ca/en) is among Canada’s biggest music festivals. Acts like Duran Duran and The Offspring rock out in front of up to 100,000 fans on the Plains of Abraham.

Forty minutes northeast of [Quebec City](https://www.quebec-cite.com/en), [Canyon Sainte-Anne](https://canyonsa.qc.ca/en/) – a spectacular natural gorge – offers outdoor thrills aplenty with suspension bridges and a via ferrata course. Chill out at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac’s [Sam Bistro](https://www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/dining/bistro-le-sam/) with a charcuterie board and an Ungava gin and tonic.

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### HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

In the summer, [Halifax](https://discoverhalifaxns.com/)’s waterfront is extra-lively. Discover the ill-fated Titanic’s history at the [Maritime Museum of the Atlantic](https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/) or diverse immigration stories at [Pier 21](https://pier21.ca/).

When the weather’s gorgeous, paddle around the bustling harbour with [Kayak Halifax](https://www.kayakhalifax.com/). Or enjoy free roller blade or scooter rentals at the [Emera Oval](https://www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/programs-activities/outdoor-recreation/emera-oval). At happy hour, salute a stellar day in the Maritimes with a Seafoam Royal Gin Fizz at [Drift](https://www.drifthalifax.com/).

---

Source: [https://gocanada.com/en/five-great-cities-to-visit-in-canada-during-summer](https://gocanada.com/en/five-great-cities-to-visit-in-canada-during-summer)